Problem Government often focuses more on treatment than prevention, which leads to solutions that are more costly to taxpayers and less effective. In education, this has led us to spend more on special education, dropouts, and jail–giving us less to spend on tools that help at-risk kids learn how to […]

Education | Ben McAdams | Former Mayor | Salt Lake County, UT

Problem The Central Wasatch Mountains are “ground zero” for millions of Utah residents and visitors alike to obtain clean drinking water, experience a variety of outdoor recreational activities, and, for some, to earn a paycheck. It’s a checkerboard of land management jurisdictions, including the U.S. Forest Service, the Salt Lake […]

Infrastructure | Ben McAdams | Former Mayor | Salt Lake County, UT

Problem The Salt Lake County jail struggles with overcrowding and high recidivism rates. A substantial percentage of those in jail have committed nonviolent crimes associated with mental health issues and substance abuse. Repeated arrests add to their criminal record but do nothing to address the underlying problems.  When they leave […]

Criminal Justice | Ben McAdams | Former Mayor | Salt Lake County, UT

Problem Each year, the Salt Lake County community invests $42 million in government and private funds on the complex issue of homelessness, helping Utah’s Housing First initiative to dramatically reduce chronic homelessness. Currently, resources are invested without coordination either among funders and service agencies or between them. Efforts of funders […]

Housing | Ben McAdams | Former Mayor | Salt Lake County, UT

Problem Salt Lake County has seen homelessness expand and, as the opioid epidemic has also grown, the area surrounding our main homeless shelter has been unsafe for the public and for those experiencing homelessness. There were no easy solutions to address the challenges that are complex and diverse. In order […]

Smart Government | Ben McAdams | Former Mayor | Salt Lake County, UT